Ch-Ch-Changes
by Eidelvyd
Summary: Thirteen years after Sarah's run, Jareth returns, hoping she will reconsider his offer. Imagine his surprise when he discovers that Sarah is now the mother of a five-year-old daughter. Sarah/Jareth. Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

The door creaked open slowly, light from the hall spilling onto the bed and the small form in it. Feet padded silently across a purple rug and the bed dipped as more weight settled onto it. Verdant eyes traced over the delicate features of the sleeping girl and soft pink lips curved into a gentle smile as slender fingers reached out to brush the dark hair from her pale brow. A small, freckled nose wrinkled in response to the touch and green eyes blinked open blearily.

"Mommy!"

A low chuckle slipped from Sarah's throat as her daughter launched herself forward, latching her arms around her mother's neck. "Hey sweetheart. Did you have fun with Stacey?"

Katie nodded. "Yeah… But I missed you at bedtime."

Sarah struggled to keep the smile in her voice, "Did you?"

Katie nodded again and and sat back with all the seriousness an almost six-year-old could muster. "She's not good at bedtime stories like you."

Sarah laughed and pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead. "I'm sorry sweetie, I wanted to be here but something came up at work and…"

She broke off with a sigh.

Katie hugged her again and said, "S'okay mommy."

Sarah smiled again and wrapped her arms around Katie.

"But," she starts, levity in her tone, "I have the day off tomorrow!"

"Really?!" Katie pulled back excitedly.

"Yep!" Sarah nodded enthusiastically. "We could go to the park, or we could watch a movie, or-"

"Could we go see Uncle Toby?!"

"Maybe," Sarah laughed, "but I think he has school."

"Aww… Could we g-" The rest of Katie's question was made unintelligible by a jaw-cracking yawn.

"We can decide what to do in the morning, okay?"

Sarah stood up and tucked Katie back into bed. "It's late, and little girls who want to have fun tomorrow should be sleeping."

Katie snuggled into her cocoon of blankets, "Okay."

"I love you," Sarah kissed her cheek and walked to the door, pulling it most of the way shut behind her.

"Love you too, Mommy," came the mumbled reply.

"See you in the morning."

Sarah sighed and walked toward the sleepy teenager in her living room.

"Sorry for keeping you so late, Stacey. I hope I haven't gotten you in trouble."

The girl grinned sleepily and hid a yawn behind her hand. "S'not a problem Ms. Williams. My parents told me they'd be out late tonight anyway, and I don't like being home alone."

Sarah grabbed her wallet out of her purse and pulled out a few tens, "This oughta cover it. I wish I could-"

Sarah caught herself before she can complete the thought and gave Stacey a nervous smile and a vaguely sheepish shrug. "If wishes were fishes, right?"

Stacey smiles as she takes the money. "Any spending money is better than no spending money. Besides, now I can go see that new Brendan Fraser movie next weekend."

"The one about the Mummy?"

"Yep."

"You'll have to let me know if it's good. My little brother's birthday is coming up, maybe we can go see it."

"Yeah? How old is he?"

"He's turning fourteen, so just a little older than you. I'll walk you to the door."

Sarah waited for Stacey to unlock her door and get inside before retreating back into her own apartment. The likelihood of something happening to the thirteen-year-old in the fifteen feet between their apartments was minimal at best, but one could never be too careful. She locked the door and sighed, pulling her hair out of its bun as she walked to her room. Her pale blue polo and black slacks landed on the floor in a pile that got kicked into a corner as she pulled clean clothes out of her dresser.

Deciding that a shower was just honestly too much effort after over eight hours on her feet, Sarah slipped into the fresh clothes and walked back toward the main area of the apartment. She angled herself toward the fridge, intent on putting some food in her stomach before collapsing into bed. Eight hours. Sarah normally only worked four-hour shifts at a time, but one of the other waitresses called in sick and her boss asked her to cover. She hated getting home so late, but at least it meant more money.

'Katie will be starting school this year, I'll be able to work the day shifts then. Maybe I won't have to work so late after that…'

Tap.

Sarah shook herself from her thoughts and paused in the center of the living room, uncertain if she'd actually heard something. Silence filled the apartment. Shrugging off as her imagination, she took another step toward the kitchen.

Tap tap tap.

She froze and turned her head to stare at the sliding door that led to their tiny balcony.

Silence.

Tap tap tap tap.

She padded over to the door cautiously, standing to the left of it and twitching the edge of the curtain aside so that she could look out. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

There's nothing there…

A sudden flicker of movement drew her eyes down to a pair of of bright black eyes set in a heart-shaped, white face. She jerked backward with a startled yelp and the curtain fell to cover the door again. She stood there, staring at the curtain, a hand over her mouth and her heart pounding wildly. A few seconds crawled by. Then-

Tap tap tap.

Sarah hesitantly reached out a hand that was definitely not shaking and lifted the curtain again. He was still there, perched on the rail, as close to the door as he could get, head cocked slightly to one side as he peered up at her. Green eyes narrow suspiciously. Black owl-eyes blink back innocently.

She briefly considered ignoring him. She really did. But she dismissed the thought immediately because she knew he probably wouldn't let her. And, not that she would admit this, because her curiosity would drive her insane if she tried. She lifted her hand to the latch and fixed him with a rather pointed stare, jerking her chin at him. He took the hint and moved to the rail directly opposite the door. Nodding in satisfaction, she lifted the latch and pushed the door open just far enough for her to slip out, turning to pull it shut behind her. She drew a breath in through her nose and let it out quietly, turning again to look into a pair of mismatched crystal blue eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Still kind of laughing about how much longer this chapter is. I considered breaking it down, but I just couldn't find a spot where I thought it would make sense so... Here! Have plot! Thanks to _**maraudergurl2010**_, and **_NarikoKaori_**, and all the rest of you for being fabulous. Oh, and since I forgot to do it last time...

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Labyrinth, the Labyrinth, Sarah, Jareth, or any of the other characters from the book or movie.

"Sarah."

"Goblin King."

Sarah fought the urge to snort; he was still perched on the rail, knees drawn up to his chest, hands resting on either side of his feet, head cocked to one as he watched her.

They stare at each other.

She almost did snort as she realized that they were both waiting for the other to start talking.

"So…" she cleared her throat and looked down. "I assume you're here for a reason?"

"Yes."

A rustle of fabric pulled her gaze back up. He stood in front of her now. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she took in his appearance. A ruffled, billowy white silk shirt underneath a black waistcoat, showing a generous expanse of smooth chest, where his silver crescent pendant caught the light from a streetlamp and glinted softly. Ludicrously tight grey pants. Tall black leather boots and black leather gloves. Pale hair sticking up haphazardly in all directions.

_'He looks the same'_, her eyes met his again._ 'No… There's something different there…'_

A low boom of thunder sounded as Sarah opened her mouth to ask him to clarify, causing them both to look up. Storm clouds were moving sluggishly across the sky above them, and as they watched lightning flashed in the distance. A single rain drop pinged off of the metal railing.

Jareth broke the silence. "Perhaps we should move indoors."

"Is the almighty Goblin King afraid to get wet?" Sarah teased with an amused grin.

He gave a surprised blink, but recovered quickly with a playful smirk and a mock bow. "I assure you, I think only of you, Sarah. Your attire," he gestured to her slightly threadbare sweater and her loose sweats, "is hardly suited for harsh weather, and I'd hate to think you suffered any discomfort on my account."

"How noble of you," The Sahara was an ocean compared to her tone.

"I am nothing if not a gentleman." Mirth glittered in his eyes, and a hint of… was that relief?

"There are many words I could use to describe you, but I'm almost positive _that_ isn't one of them."

He placed a hand over his heart, "Sarah, you wound me so."

Sarah tried not to roll her eyes. She just didn't try very hard. Her gaze moved past him as she thought, watching a few more rain drops fall from the clouds. She nodded suddenly and her eyes snapped back to his. He was watching her curiously.

Squaring her shoulders and crossing her arms, she adopted the no-nonsense tone she used when making Katie do something she didn't want to do (ex. cleaning her room).

"I would need your word."

His eyebrows lifted.

"Your oath that no harm will come to me, or anyone in my family, and that neither you, nor any of your subjects, will take me or any of my blood to your Labyrinth. Or anywhere else, for that matter."

"Really Sar-"

"Your oath, Goblin King. Or you can leave now."

He stared at her silently, seemingly offended, though whether that was because of her demand, or because she had the audacity to interrupt him was not clear. Finally, he let out an annoyed huff and nodded grudgingly, working his jaw for a moment before speaking.

"I, Jareth, King of the Goblins, swear that no harm will be brought upon the house of Sarah Williams, Champion of the Labyrinth, by either myself or my subjects, nor will any harm be brought upon her at the behest of me or my subjects."

"And?" She pressed when he paused.

"And," He closed his eyes briefly, appearing almost pained, and finished through gritted teeth, "I swear that neither I, nor any of my subjects, will try to take anyone, especially of her blood, who does not wish to be taken."

Seeing her eyes narrow, he raised a hand to placate her. "It is the best I can do, if the right words are said I am obligated to fulfill the request. I will not take you, or anyone related to you, so long as the words are not spoken. I promise you that."

She examined him for a moment, eyes narrowed in thought, before nodding again. "It'll do."

His brows lifted again at that. "You, precious thing, have become paranoid."

Her lips twitched. "I have my reasons. Come on, before we melt."

Rain had begun to drizzle more steadily now. She slid the door open again and moved the curtain out of the way for him. He stepped inside and glanced around the large room curiously while she shut the door. In the corner to his left, closest to the hall, was a couch that had seen better days, an armchair in similar condition, a coffee table, and a battered television stand with a small television on top of it, and a device that he recognized as a VCR, along with several other devices he didn't recognize, underneath it. In the corner across from this was a small square dining table surrounded by mismatched dining chairs, and in the corner to the far right was a cramped kitchen area.

The corner directly to his right, closest to the front door, had a decently sized desk in it. A large rectangular box was underneath it, and something that looked very similar to the television was on top of it. Two smaller plastic devices sat in front of this, along with several plastic cases roughly the size of small books. He felt one of his eyebrows rise again as he read some of the names: _Diablo, Mario Kart, Warcraft, Resident Evil, Neverwinter Nights, Final Fantasy, Mortal Kombat._

"Those are Toby's."

He looked up inquisitively at Sarah, who was now standing in the kitchen filling a kettle with water.

She pointed at the plastic cases he had been staring at. "The video games, their Toby's. All of the gaming stuff is." Now she pointed at the devices he hadn't been able to identify under the television. "Irene doesn't really approve of them, so I let him and a few of his friends game here. I do too, sometimes, but for the most part I leave it to them. I don't really have the time."

She coughed suddenly and looked away, surprised she had said so much. Jareth appeared almost as surprised as she, though he looked significantly happier about it.

"I've heard of video games," he said as she turned her back to him to set the kettle on the stove, "Though... I've never actually seen one."

"Do you make a habit of keeping up with mortal technology?" Sarah shot him a slightly disbelieving look as she leaned against the counter.

He laughed. "I deal with humans far more than most of my kind, I like to familiarize myself with their surroundings. And... well, the Underground is remarkably boring at times, and you mortals come up with so many splendid ways to entertain yourselves."

Sarah giggled in response to that. "Happy to help."

Jareth gave her a slightly relieved grin, he'd been unsure how she'd respond to the mentioning of his "dealings" with humans. "How is young Toby? He'd be… fourteen now, yes?"

"Almost, yeah," she nodded. "He's alright. He starts high school next fall, which he has informed me terrifies him because it means he's almost an adult."

Jareth's head tilted a little. "Just alright?"

"Yeah, he's fine…" Sarah looked away from him and began to fidget uncomfortably. "He's having some problems at home, and he's not doing too great in school. Not that he's not smart, he's smart as a whip, he just…" She shrugged, "He has the same problem I did, he just doesn't care. It's hard to do well at something when you don't care about it."

Jareth watched her, wondering what she must not be saying that was distressing her so. Sarah didn't look up; she was biting her lip as she thought hard about something and traced designs in the linoleum with her toe. Awkward silence filled the room. Sarah jumped when the kettle started to whistle. She shook her head and chuckled at herself as she moved the kettle from the burner and pulled a mug from the cupboard.

"Do you want something to drink?"

Jareth blinked at the offer. "No, thank you."

She nodded and spooned instant hot chocolate into her mug before pouring the water into it. She turned, stirring the drink, and walked over to the armchair, tucking her feet up under her as she sat. She glanced up at him as she realized he was still standing and gestured to the couch.

"You can sit, I've been on my feet for the last," she glanced at the clock and grimaced: 1:49, "almost ten hours, so I'm not standing anymore unless I have to."

He sank onto the couch a bit hesitantly, giving her a strange look out of the corner of his eye. Sarah watched him over the rim of her cup. Several minutes slipped by silently. Leaning forward to set her mug on the coffee table, Sarah decided to be blunt.

"Why are you here?"

Jareth seemed unsure of how to answer the question. "...I confess, I had a plan when I came here, but… This is not going quite as I expected."

Her brow quirked. "What did you expect? Screaming? Crying? Shouted exclamations of 'it's not fair' and 'you have no power over me'?"

His mouth twisted wryly. "Well…"

She snickered, "I'm not a little girl, Jareth. I think I'm a little too old to be throwing tantrums. Besides, you said so yourself. If the right words are said, you're obligated to act. I have no reason to hate you, you were just doing your job." Her eyes narrowed a little, "Though I'm not entirely sure all of your actions were absolutely necessary."

He had started when she said his name, but now his spine stiffened and his chin lifted a little.. "Everything I did was done in the spirit of competition."

"The Cleaners?"

"You were too confident."

"The peach?"

"You were making too much progress, I had to slow you down somehow."

Her tone turned dry. "The worm inside of the peach?"

He coughed and looked away. "That… may have been a touch petty."

"Maybe just a tad." She gave him a sardonic grin. "And we're not even going to mention the Goblin Army."

He winced.

"However," she rested her chin on her hand, "none of that answers my question. Why are you here, Jareth?"

He stared down at his hands for a moment before speaking, smoothing his gloves absentmindedly. "...When you ran my Labyrinth, Sarah, I made a foolish mistake. I made you an offer that you were far too young to understand, but," his eyes lifted and she could see the pain shining in their depths, along with a glimmer of hope, "it was sincere, nonetheless."

Sarah's eyes dropped from his and a faint flush crept up her neck.

"I-," she had to clear her throat to steady her voice, "I already knew that you meant it. I didn't at the time, I was a bit preoccupied," she smiled a little, "but I realized later. But," she steeled herself and met his gaze, "Jareth, if you've come here to make that offer to me again, then I'm sorry, but I have to refuse."

She cringed inwardly at the absolute torment that contorted his expression.

"Sarah-"

Whatever he had been about to say was forgotten as a high-pitched shriek broke through the apartment. Sarah was on her feet immediately, dodging around the coffee table and launching herself through the first door in the hall. She was on her knees by the bed in an instant, and she carefully grabbed the arms of the thrashing five-year-old.

"Katie! Katie, wake up!"

The little girl jerked awake, and as soon as she recognized her mother's face she threw herself from her bed, sobbing as she locked her arms around Sarah's neck. Sarah wrapped her arms around Katie and picked her up, moving so that she could sit on the bed. She rubbed Katie's back and shushed her quietly.

"Shh… You're alright, it was just another bad dream."

She began to hum softly.

Jareth was standing in the doorway, staring in shock. Of all the things he had prepared himself for when he came here, _this_ certainly wasn't anywhere on the list. He examined the crying child and the woman comforting her. There was no mistaking it, Sarah had a daughter. He jumped when he recognized the song she was humming, mentally filling in the words. Sarah rested her cheek on the top of the little girl's head and smiled a sad little smile at him when she saw him. He returned the smile as understanding flooded through him. The little girl slowly began to calm, full-bodied sobs becoming little hiccups, which eventually diminished into quiet sniffles. Sarah leaned back and gently wiped her tears away.

"Hey there, munchkin. You okay?"

The little girl nodded.

"You wanna talk about it?"

She shook her head.

"Okay, do you wanna sleep in my room? I promise no monsters will get you there, I'm too scary for them."

She giggled and nodded.

Sarah smiled and stood up. Jareth quickly moved out of the way and watched her carry her daughter down the hall. She opened the door at the end and flipped on the light. Jareth moved back into the living room and waited, listening to the murmured words between mother and daughter. After a few minutes, Sarah stepped back into the hallway and pulled the door mostly shut.

"I'm going to leave the light on, and I'm right out here if you need me, okay?"

There was a mumbled reply, and then Sarah was walking down the hall toward him. She stopped a few feet away and pushed her hair back. Their eyes met and they stared at each other.

"You have a daughter."

She crossed her arms. "Yeah."

"She's why you asked for my oath."

"Yep."

"And why you refused."

She broke eye contact. "Uh-huh."

He made his voice softer. "I understand."

She looked up and smiled at him.

"You called her Katie?"

"Mhm. It's short for Kaitlin, but she hates that so… Katie."

"How old is she?"

"She turns six in September."

A playful smirk crept into his expression and he pretended to examine his gloves. "I don't suppose… I could expect a visit anytime soon?" He peeked at her out of the corner of his eye.

Her eyes were narrowed and she was trying to scowl at him, but it was ruined by the grin curling the corners of her lips. "Not a chance."

"Not even if I offered you your dreams?" He flicked his fingers, as though about to summon a crystal.

She laughed. "Keep your baubles, she's mine."

He sighed and let his hand drop, fighting a grin of his own. "What a pity, it would have given you a reason to visit, and your friends do miss you so."

She winced, "How are they? I keep meaning to call them, but I'm so busy and… well, to be honest, I don't even have time for Aboveground friends."

"They are well, though they do whine most piteously about you. I think they believe you've forgotten them."

"Oh, no! That's horrible, I could never forget them." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe I should introduce them to Katie, I bet she'd love Ludo…"

Jareth smiled, those three had better be grateful when he returned. "Speaking of… I believe you said she'd had _another_ bad dream?" He asked, with a slight emphasis. "Does she have bad dreams often?"

The mirth drained from Sarah, leaving weariness in its place. "Yeah, she's been having them for weeks now, almost every night. She won't tell me what they're about, but I figure they must be pretty bad."

"Hmm." He frowned pensively.

"Why do you ask?"

"A hunch. I might be mistaken, but if I'm not… I may be able to help."

"And what would the price for that assistance be?" The suspicion in her tone was palpable, but he didn't miss the lilt of hope.

He contemplated her for a moment and closed the distance between them. "No price… Though, perhaps…" He placed a finger beneath her chin and lifted her face towards his, leaning in a little. "A modicum of trust?"

She blinked at that, and he didn't miss the way her eyes flicked down briefly. She nodded and pulled her chin from his grasp. "Alright. If you can help, I would be very grateful."

He dipped his head slightly and gestured for her to lead the way. She turned on her heel and walked back down the hall. She peeked inside the room before opening the door all the way for him. Katie was sprawled across the center of the bed, asleep. Sarah sat on one side of the bed and watched Jareth as he sat on the other. He reached out to move Katie's hair out of her face and paused. his hand hovering just above her hair, looking to Sarah for permission. She hesitated before nodding, appearing unaware that one of her hands had sought out one of Katie's. Jareth moved Katie's hair and pulled the glove off of his right hand. He placed two now bare fingers on her forehead and began tracing them in a small circle over her brow, closing his eyes as he concentrated.

A tense silence filled the room, Sarah biting her thumbnail as she watched him, silently praying that she hadn't just made a horrible mistake. A minute crept by. Finally, Jareth's hand stilled and he blinked slowly, eyes coming back into focus.

He looked up at her. "There is a mare."

Her brow furrowed. "A mare? What's that?"

"A mare is…" He paused in thought. "I guess you would call it a spirit, that feeds on fear. Human fear is most potent for them, they find ways out of the Underground and latch onto humans with especially powerful imaginations, corrupting their dreams and turning them into nightmares."

"And one has attached itself to Katie?"

"Yes." He flashed her a smile. "It would seem young Katie has her mother's penchant for dreaming."

Sarah snorted. "Can you get rid of it?"

He nodded, "Yes, but it will fight." Seeing Sarah's panicked expression, he quickly added, "It won't hurt her, but her dreams may become… uncomfortable for a moment."

Sarah's jaw tightened. "This thing has been terrorizing my daughter for the last month. Get it out."

Jareth nodded and returned his attentions to Katie, summoning a crystal in his left hand and leaning forward to hold it near her mouth. The fingers of his right hand began tracing over her brow again, faster this time. Katie's mouth turned down in a frown, and she started moving her head slowly from side to side, as if trying to shake something off. Her grip tightened on Sarah's, and she let out a soft mewl of protest. A tendril of solid black smoke crept out of her mouth, moving in short jerks, obviously trying to pull away from the crystal. As the filament touched the crystal Jareth spun it in his palm, pulling the mare out of Katie and into the crystal.

Katie began to whimper as the smoke poured more steadily out of her mouth and her hand started to crush Sarah's. The crystal jerked to a stop a few times as the mare pulled back more fiercely and Jareth had to set it to spinning again, finally having to turn it manually as the thing clung to Katie. She convulsed as Jareth jerked the crystal away suddenly, forcibly removing the mare.

Sarah leaned over her and watched as she quickly calmed, her hand releasing Sarah's and her brow smoothing. Her frown curved upwards in a dreamer's smile and her cheeks pinked. Sarah stroked Katie's hair gently and looked up at Jareth. He was looking into the now-black crystal with an amused smirk, watching as the mare flung itself fruitlessly against the walls of its prison.

Sarah studied it for a moment. "Poor thing, it doesn't have a chair."

Jareth grinned. "Nor does it have a roguishly handsome and charming King to pass the time with."

"I think you meant pompous and egotistical."

He affected a wounded air. "So cruel…"

She rolled her eyes and refocused on the mare. "What will you do with it?"

"Destroy it." He flicked his hand and the crystal disappeared in a puff of smoke and glitter.

"Good." Sarah looked down at Katie again and smiled softly as she ran her fingers through her daughter's hair.

Jareth pulled the glove back onto his right hand, flexing his fingers, and watched with a mildly bemused expression._ 'She's changed so much...'_

He glanced around the room and frowned slightly. His eyes were drawn back to Sarah when she stood. She smiled at him and walked to the door.

"We should let her sleep, come on."

He got to his feet and followed her out, glancing back at Katie for a moment before he shut the door. They walked back to the living room in a comfortable silence. Sarah picked up the mug of hot chocolate and grimaced when she took a sip, turning toward the kitchen.

"Thank you," she said as she walked to the sink.

He smiled at her back. "It was no great hardship."

She laughed. "Maybe not, but I appreciate it all the same. She's been having those dreams every night for weeks, it's a relief to know that I don't have to worry anymore."

He considered her for a moment, watching as she emptied the mug into the sink and began to wash it. "Sarah…"

"Hmm?"

He paused, unsure if he should ask. "...where is Katie's father?"

Sarah froze.

"...Sarah?"

Her shoulders slumped and she sighed as she set the mug down, drying her hands on a towel as she turned around. She leaned back against the counter wearily before speaking. "That's a very good question."

Jareth's head tilted. "He is missing?"

She scoffed. "Not exactly."

His brow furrowed in confusion.

She sighed again and crossed her arms. "I don't know where he is, but I'm sure his family does. Not that they'd tell me if I cared to ask, which I don't."

He looked even more confused.

Sarah stared at him, not sure how he wasn't getting it. "He left us, Jareth. We were engaged, and a few weeks before the wedding I found out that I was pregnant. He left."

"Why would he leave?" Jareth appeared utterly baffled.

"I-," Sarah shrugged. "I don't know, he just did. Doesn't that happen where you come from?"

Jareth shook his head. "Fae do not have children very often, when we do they are treasured. No fae would ever abandon his family."

She blinked. "Oh. Well, it's fairly common up here. Some people just can't handle the pressures of raising a kid."

"Do they even try?"

She stared down at the floor and kicked at the linoleum for a few seconds. "Some. Some find out that they're stronger than they thought, and end up being really good parents. Some people force themselves to stay with their families and end up resenting them, hurting themselves and the kid in the process. Some try to stay but end up leaving anyway. And sometimes… Sometimes really bad things happen. To be honest, I'm glad he left. I mean, don't get me wrong, being a single mom isn't easy, and there are times that I'd really like to have someone else helping me out, but…"

Sarah looked up again. "I'd rather he not be here at all then have him here and think he might resent Katie for even a moment. She deserves better than that. All kids do."

Jareth shook his head. "I can't understand why someone would choose to abandon their family. You are correct, however, children deserve better than resentment."

Sarah looked at him oddly. "Don't you run into that kind of thing all the time? People wishing away their kids, abandoning them?"

He thought for a moment. "Not as often as you might think, but in a way, yes. However, most choose to take back the child, as you did. The Labyrinth is meant to be solved, it is a test. It's difficult, yes, but not impossible. If you try to solve it, you most likely will."

"Though… There have always been a few who choose their dreams over the child, and a few who give up on solving the Labyrinth without actually trying. I've never been able to understand them."

"Out of curiosity, what_ does_ happen when you keep the kid?"

Jareth raised his eyebrows.

"Well, I mean," Sarah fidgeted a little, feeling a bit foolish, "in the play, it says that you turn them into goblins. Is that true?"

Jareth threw back his head and laughed.

Sarah flushed and glared at him.

It took him several minutes minutes to calm down enough to speak. "I… apologize." He was still chortling a little. "I have not yet managed to read the play and… Oh, that's actually quite good."

"So it's not true?"

He chuckled, "No, it is not true."

Sarah huffed at him, irritated. "Then what happens to them?"

"They're adopted. I give them to fae couples who have no children of their own; after a time they become fae themselves."

"Oh," Sarah blinked. "That's actually really nice."

"No need to sound so surprised, Sarah." Jareth laughed again and shook his head. "The things you humans come up with, honestly."

"Hey!" She glowered at him halfheartedly.

He grinned back.

_'Bastard doesn't even have the decency to look ashamed.'_ Her eyes drifted to the clock behind him.

"Damn!"

Jareth's eyebrows raised again and he glanced behind him to find what had distressed her.

"Look, Jareth, this has been great and all, and I'm very grateful for what you did for Katie, but it's almost 4 AM. Katie's probably going to wake me up in four hours, if I'm lucky, and I told her we'd hang out today. So…" She lifted her hands in a vaguely helpless gesture.

He smiled. "I will go."

"Thank you," she smiled back a touch apologetically. "It's nothing personal, but I need sleep."

He nodded and turned to walk to the glass door, Sarah following to lock it behind him. He stopped just in front of the door and spun on his heel, eliciting a squeak of surprise from Sarah as he suddenly gripped her shoulders. "May I see you again?"

Sarah gaped up at him. "What?"

He loosened his grip slightly. "May I visit you again?"

"I-why?!"

"I told you why I came here, Sarah."

"Yeah, and I said-"

"You refused," he cut her off, "and I understand why. But I never said I was giving up."

"For the love of-," she stepped back from him. "Jareth, we hardly know each other! We've spent a total of what, maybe three or four hours together? I am not marrying you!"

"Hmm, you do have a point." His expression turned thoughtful.

"I do? I mean, I do, but I wasn't expecting you to agree with me…" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Of course!" he snapped his fingers. "I understand that the custom is to ask the father's permission first, but I don't think that will be necessary in this case. Sarah Williams, may I have your permission to court you?"

"I-what?!"

"You said it yourself, we need to spend more time together and get to know each other better."

"That isn't-"

"The logical conclusion would be to begin a courtship."

Sarah's jaw worked soundlessly for several second before she finally groaned and covered her face with her hands. "You are unbelievably determined."

He smiled, "Thank you."

She glared at him over the tips of her fingers, "That wasn't a compliment."

He smirked and waited patiently for her answer.

_'Well…'_ she considered him briefly. _'He is attractive. And he's been surprisingly nice this whole time. This could be fun… I can always break it off if it's not going well…'_

She sighed and dropped her hands. "...Fine."

His eyes lit up and he beamed at her, capturing one of her hands in both of his.

"But," she said before he could say anything, "this stays Above. No whisking me off to the Underground. And you have to at least make an effort to blend in, no tights."

"As you wish, precious." He kissed the back of her hand fervently and fought a grin at the blush that stole into her cheeks. "Any other rules?"

"Maybe…" she mumbled. "I haven't thought of them yet."

"Very well, I shall leave you then. I'm sure you'll have thought of plenty more by the time I see you next." He swept her a courtly bow. "Until then, precious Sarah."

She watched him open the sliding door and step into the rain. "You can use the front door next time."

He smiled and dipped his head. "I will."

There was a small puff of glitter, and then Jareth was gone and a barn owl was flying off into the night.

Sarah stared after him for a time.

_'What on earth have I gotten myself into?'_

**Notes:**

So, how 'bout those 90's references? Seriously though, I tried to make them accurate, how'd I do? I was about three when the 90's ended, so I'm afraid I don't remember much. And, ahem, sorry about the accidental exorcism, it was an accident. I got about halfway through typing the scene and suddenly realized that I had put an exorcism in what's supposed to be mostly romantic fluff. Oops. Anyway... I should be starting on the third chapter soon, please follow or favorite if you like it and you want more, or if you feel like being spectacularly awesome, leave me a review! Let me know what you think, constructive criticism is always welcome here. Thoughts, suggestions, things you'd like to see? Leave them in the box below, I promise I'll read them. Seriously, you can leave me a review that says pancake and I'll squee when I see it.


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